CSU’s offensive line has been hit harder than any other position by injuries this season. The Rams hope to get senior tackle Paul Madsen back for Saturday’s game at UNLV. He missed CSU’s last game, at UTEP, with a sprained knee. Should he return, it would give the Rams additional depth and experience back on the line.

But if Madsen doesn’t return and the team suffers another injury on the line they may have to play Frieler, the 6-5, 295-pound former Denver Post All-Colorado player for Greeley West in 2009.

“If a tackle went down and somebody else got hurt, a center or something,” CSU offensive coordinator Pat Meyer said. “You hate to do it. I talked to the kid about if that did happen we’d have to play him.

“I don’t think he’d have any problem physically. Not at all. He’s going to be a really good player. I think he’d go in there and play well. I just don’t want to have to burn the redshirt if we don’t have to. And if we do, then he’s going to play this year. He’s not going to play in a game and then Madsen gets healthy and he doesn’t play anymore. No, he’ll play. He’ll play guard, he’ll play tackle.”

CSU coach Steve Fairchild said playing Frieler and, thus burning his redshirt this year, crossed his mind at UTEP last Saturday when things were once again getting thin on the offensive line. CSU moved center Weston Richburg to tackle instead of playing Frieler.

“I remember thinking that looking at next year, you have (Joe) Caprioglio and (Jared) Biard back, and the two guys that are playing right now (Ty Sambrailo and Mason Hathaway),” Fairchild said. “You could redshirt Frieler next year.”